Introduction by John Henrik Clarke with a NEW “Son’s Perspective” by Dr. Julius Garvey

Like all great dreamers and planners, Marcus Garvey (August 17, 1887 to June 10, 1940) dreamed and planned ahead of his time and his peoples’ ability to understand the significance of his life’s work. A set of circumstances, mostly created by the world colonial powers, crushed this dreamer, but not his dreams. Due to persistence and years of sacrifice of Mrs. Amy Jacques Garvey, widow of Marcus Garvey, a large body of work by and about this great nationalist leader has been preserved and can be made available to a new generation of black people who have the power to turn his dreams into realities. —From the introduction by John Henrik Clarke.

Written as a participant and confidant, Amy Jacques Garvey’s perspective continues to provide an intimate and first-person narrative of the Garvey movement and this important nascent period of Black Nationalism. 364 pages. (Black Classic Press, August 2014, ISBN: 978-1-57478-116-8, $24.95).

Amy Jacques Garvey (1896-1973) was a leading Pan-Africanist and Black Nationalist, as well as the wife of Marcus Garvey, and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the African Communities’ League (UNIA-ACL). Born in Jamaica, Amy Jacques moved to the United States in 1917, became a committed Garveyite and Garvey’s personal secretary. She later served as Secretary General of the UNIA, and as a columnist for the organization’s paper, the Negro World. She married Garvey in 1922 and provided key leadership for the UNIA during his imprisonment and later expulsion from the United States. Following his death in 1940, Mrs. Garvey, then living in Jamaica, raised their two sons, Marcus, Jr., and Julius, and continued to support African leaders and Pan-Africanist organizations. In addition to preserving critical documents on the Garvey movement, she authored essential books on Marcus Garvey and the movement he led, including The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, Garvey and Garveyism, and Black Power in America. Writing as a participant and confidant, Amy Jacques Garvey’s perspective continues to provide an intimate and first-person narrative of the Garvey movement and this important nascent period of Black Nationalism.

John Henrik Clarke (1915-1998) published over 50 short stories in the United States and abroad. His best known short story, “The Boy Who Painted Christ Black,” has been translated into more than a dozen languages. His articles and conference papers on African and African American history and culture have been published in leading journals throughout the world. He served as a staff member of five different publications and was the co-founder and associate editor of the Harlem Quarterly (1949-1950). Among the many books he wrote or edited are American Negro Short Stories, William Styron’s Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond (also published as The Second Crucifixion of Nat Turner), Malcolm X: The Man and His Time, Harlem USA, and African People in World History.

Julius Garvey is the youngest son of Amy Jacques Garvey and Marcus Garvey. He is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon. He lives in Sea Cliff, NY.

I had the pleasure of speaking in a couple of the short video biographies, on American novelists, created by Bio.com, which is part of the A+E Television Networks. I spoke briefly about James Baldwin and Langston Hughes.

There were several more videos created. I’ve posted a seven of them below — hence the title of this article.

James Baldwin’s written works made him an important spokesman of the Civil Rights Movement. His essays explored the black experience in America and his novel,”Giovanni’s Room,” was one of the first to tackle homosexuality.

Langston Hughes was the leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, showcasing the dignity and the beauty in ordinary black life. The hours he spent in Harlem clubs affected his work, making him one of the innovators of Jazz Poetry.

In 1961, Harper Lee became the only author to win the Pulitzer Prize for her first and only novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Jack Kerouac

As a writer and pioneer of the Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac epitomized the era of sex, drugs, and jazz. His novel “On the Road,” which he wrote in a three-week bender of writing frenzy, became the bible of the countercultural generation.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck gave voice to working class America. In 1939, he reported on migrant farm workers for the San Francisco Chronicle, providing the basis for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut’s blend of black comedy and wild imagination in works such as “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Cat’s Cradle” made him one of the most loved writers of all time.

A few close friends of mine and I visited Manie one month ago. Manie had been battling cancer for some time and felt well enough to host a group of people. We were all looking forward to seeing him. I was prepared to see a shell of a man, but was pleasantly surprised to see good ‘ole Manie again.

Manie was slimmer and his voice had lost some of it’s bass, but his easy smile and “tell it like it is” wit actually did me more good than than I’m sure I did him. It was good to see him. Selfishly, I even looked forward to the day when we could share a drink or two again. The possibility that day would never come did not cross my mind.

It was a pleasure to know Manie and I’m better for the experience. Peace Brother.
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It is with deep sorrow that the family and friends of Manie Barron announce his death from a hemorrhage the morning of Saturday, January 8, 2011 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he was being treated for lung cancer.

Manie, whose full name was Emanuel Joseph Barron, was born on December 7, 1955, in Harlem, New York, to Joseph K. Barron and Harriet F. Smith. He is survived by his wife, Wendalyn R. Nichols; daughter, Veronica Grace Nichols Barron, 7; niece Raven T. Barron; and great-nephew Messiah M. Barron, 8. He is predeceased by his parents and by his sister, Charmaine.

Manie began his nearly three-decade career in publishing as a bookseller at the Doubleday bookstore at South Street Seaport in Manhattan. He became a buyer for Golden Lee book distributors, from where he was recruited as a founding member of the Random House telephone sales team. He transitioned from sales to editorial, laying the foundation for what would become the Striver’s Row imprint at Random House, before moving on to HarperCollins, where he was publishing manager of the Amistad imprint. He then spent three years as a literary agent with the William Morris Agency before partnering with Claudia Menza in the Menza Barron Agency.

A memorial celebration is planned for early February, details of which will be released later. A college scholarship fund has been established for Manie’s daughter, Veronica. To contribute, please send a check made out to: